Don't Doubt the Power of Fast Feedback - Mike Cohn

Jul 9, 2025

This discussion highlights the power of fast feedback for agile teams. Using the 1995 America's Cup as a key example, it contrasts two strategies: Team New Zealand's rapid design iterations with immediate testing versus the U.S. team's lengthy feedback delays. The lesson? Frequent updates and customer insights lead to better products. The hosts emphasize that embracing quick evaluations can transform outcomes in both sports and project management.

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ANECDOTE

America's Cup Feedback Anecdote

The 1995 America's Cup race illustrates fast feedback's power in agile product development.
Team New Zealand's close, frequent design testing beat the US's distant, infrequent approach.

INSIGHT

Fast Feedback Crucial for Success

Rapid feedback cycles from users are critical to creating products that meet needs effectively.
Being physically and operationally close to the user enables quicker, more relevant iterations.

INSIGHT

Distant Feedback Slows Progress

Using massive, distant computing resources can cause significant feedback delays.
Slow feedback and limited testing reduce ability to assess impacts and improve iteratively.

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Don't Doubt the Power of Fast Feedback - Mike Cohn

Every year when summer rolls around, I start dreaming about getting out on the water: sailing, rowing, kayaking, wake surfing, and so on. If it’s a water sport, I probably love it.
And every time I work with a product that doesn’t quite meet my needs, I start thinking about how important it is to get real user feedback early and often.
Today, those two thoughts combined. I was sighing over the latest update to a less-than-optimal work management app, and my mind went back to a 1995 America's Cup race. The race between the US and New Zealand is a great illustration of the importance of two vital activities for agile teams: knowing customers and getting fast feedback.

To create their boat, Team New Zealand used software that allowed them to simulate the impact of various design changes on the speed of the boat. They evaluated thousands of design decisions. 
Each day, Team New Zealand ran simulations on a small network located a few feet from the dock. To further evaluate designs, Team New Zealand made two boats. Each day, they would alter one with a design change to be evaluated. The two boats then raced each other to assess the impact of the design change.

By contrast, the U.S. Team designed their boat using massive supercomputers located hundreds of miles from the dock. This created significant feedback delays. The team also had only a single boat for testing, which made it harder to assess the impact of changes.

Yep. Tiny New Zealand. For the very first time.
Why? Because Team New Zealand got close to their customer and used rapid feedback cycles. 
If you are not cycling ideas past your customers quickly enough to get rapid feedback, consider moving closer to the dock.

New Zealand Went Small, Close & OftenThe U.S. Went Big, Far & SeldomGuess who won?

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